LESSON FOR TODAY- AKAN CEREMONIAL STOOLS AND SPECIALIZED CHAIRS

The Akans of Ghana have special chairs and stools for Family Heads ( Ebusuapaninfo) , Elders, Twins ( Ntaafo), Widows, Traditional Priests and Chiefs.

Stools in the first place show the identity of the occupant when there is a community gathering.

The size and the designs are some of the factors that are used to determine the identity and the status of the occupant. In a community gathering in most of the rural Ghana or in cultural towns, sitting arrangements are highly structured with spaces reserved for the King, Chiefs, Family Heads and Invited Guests.

While Stools are traditionally popular with Chiefs, Queens and Family Heads; the use of special designed folk chairs called ASIPIM are the exclusives of Kings and Chiefs of bigger status. While the Specialized Chairs are mostly kept at the Chief's palace or courts for the King to sit and welcome guests or preside over community meetings, the Stools are lighter and easy to transport or be carried when the chief is attending an important community event. Some Chiefs have lighter versions which they travel with when they attend community events.

Today's lesson features virtual impressions of some of the Special Chairs known as ASIPIM.

Designs on the chair mostly represent the history of the community, a proverb or adinkra symbol that seem to suggest the might of the occupant, the people or an insinuation to a rival community.

Most of the ASIPIM owned by the rich communities are made from gold.

A chief sitting in a specialized chair

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